Update as of Monday
Following up on a water main break that flooded yards near South Murray Boulevard and Airport Road, Colorado Springs Utilities says water has been restored following the break.
CSU said in a written statement that the pipe was an 8-inch cast iron pipe installed in 1969, and that a combination of age and corrosive soils likely contributed to the failure. When asked about long-term solutions for this area, CSU said it tracks the age and condition of more than 2,200 linear miles of water infrastructure and prioritizes projects based on risk of failure and magnitude of impact. The utility did not say whether specific changes are planned for the area.
"They could put up a retaining wall or something," Gallegos said.
CSU said some landscape restoration has already occurred and crews are assessing remaining areas. Claims forms were distributed to affected residents and the city's claims office will investigate any that are filed. More information on CSU's water damage policy and claims process is available here.
Gallegos says her biggest concern is who will pay for the damage.
"Everybody wants me to file with my homeowner's insurance first. That's a $2,500 deductible that I'm on the hook for, and I didn't do this," Gallegos said.
Gallegos added, "I have the claim number they called me this morning and he's coming tomorrow, as long as everything gets taken care of and everything gets fixed. I'm pretty much OK with it. That's a lot of money that I don't have. "
Update as of Saturday:
Colorado Springs Utilities says that water has been restored.
They say that South Murray Boulevard, Airport Road, and Shelley Avenue should reopen once the cleanup is complete.
Original coverage:
Drivers and residents are being met with headaches at the intersection of Murray Boulevard and Airport Road on Friday afternoon.
Colorado Springs Utilities says that a water main break has shut down all of northbound Murray Boulevard at the intersection, and all of Westbound Airport Road early Friday evening, and will likely be closed through the night.
CSU says the cause of the main break is still under investigation.
News5 was on scene and spoke with many renters and homeowners northwest of the intersection who are now dealing with a lot of the damage. You can see some of that damage below.
The video shows the backyard of a Southeast Springs woman. She tells News5 this was unexpected and came at a rough time.
Michelle Gallegos returned home Friday to find her yard flooded with rushing water from a nearby water main break at South Murray Boulevard and Airport Road in Colorado Springs.
Gallegos said the flooding came without warning.
"I came home to 2 feet of water and debris in my yard. It kind of look like whitewater rapids," Gallegos said.
Her house sits adjacent to where the water main break occurred. The timing made an already difficult situation worse — she had just undergone knee surgery and was planning to walk through her yard to enter her home.
Instead, she began sinking in the mud.
"I could not get in my yard so I had to wait in the neighbor's—first in their driveway and then in their patio because I couldn't get into my yard," Gallegos said.
Her children had to carry her in through the patio door.
Gallegos said the water ran nonstop for more than two hours. She added that this is not the first time something like this has happened near her property.
"This was a non-planned event. Okay, that's cool, but you need to have something in place for when something like this happens because it's not the first time it happened," Gallegos said.
Even after crews arrived and began picking up debris, Gallegos said she remains stuck — and is now asking who will be held accountable for the damage left behind.
"Who's going to handle all the damage to my property now and the fact that I can't get my walker up and down the sidewalk now?" Gallegos said.
She said she is worried if she has a medical emergency and can't get through her yard because of all the leftover debris and rubbish.
At this time is is unclear if the City will help these residents following the flooding, but News5's Liv Wood will continue to follow this story.
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